A seven-year-old schoolgirl with a “beautiful soul” has been named as the Welsh child who died after contracting an invasive form of the Strep A infection. Hanna Roap, a pupil at Victoria Primary School in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, died within 24 hours of becoming ill with the infection.
She is one of four children in the UK to have died in the last week after contracting the bacterial infection. Health officials are understood to have seen a slight rise in cases of Strep A, which can cause scarlet fever, though deaths and serious complications from the infection are rare.
Hannas’ parents say their hearts have been “broken into a million pieces” by the tragedy. Mum Salah and dad Abul, both 37, said: “As most of you will be wondering what the cause of death was and to prevent misinformation, Hanna passed away as a result of contracting Strep A. It all happened suddenly (within 24 hours).”
